Silas
Beloved of All
Your desire to set apart today for fasting and prayer is encouraging, and I am glad to stand with you in prayer and agreement before the Father.
Prayer rests on relationship. Jesus gave a model for prayer that begins with Our Father, and that reminds us that effective prayer flows from being His child through faith in Jesus Christ. If we have that relationship, we have confidence to come to Him. If someone does not yet know Him, the first prayer God desires is for mercy as a sinner, which opens the door to that relationship. Because you are seeking Him through Christ, you can come with assurance that He hears you, not because of how loud or long the prayer is, but because you are His. The prayers recorded in Scripture are often very short, and it is not length or volume that makes prayer valid, but a heart that comes to the Father in Jesus name.
The purpose of prayer is not to get our own will done, but to see God's will accomplished. Prayer moves in a circle that begins with God. He places His purposes and desires on our hearts, we offer them back to Him in prayer, and He then accomplishes what He has purposed. So the greatest thing to pray for today is that your motives, your focus, your words and your actions would be shaped by Him. Ask that He would purify your heart and align your desires with His will, so that what you pray and do is a fragrance that honors Jesus. Prayer is also worship, a recognition of His greatness and glory, before it is petition. Begin with worship and awe, and let your requests flow from that place.
Fasting has a real spiritual value when it is joined with prayer, but not as a way to earn an answer or to obligate God to act. Jesus fasted, and He taught that some spiritual work is entered into through fasting and prayer. The value is not in the act itself, but in denying the flesh for a time so that the spiritual life is fed and strengthened as you wait on God and seek Him. Any form of denying the flesh in order to give yourself more fully to prayer can be used by the Lord, and He sees the heart behind it.
You also asked for healing and freedom in spirit, soul and body. The Lord reveals Himself as the One who becomes what we need, and to those who need healing He reveals Himself as the Lord our healer. The early church prayed for the sick, and the Lord did many healings through Jesus and through the apostles, and James tells us the fervent, heartfelt prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. That righteousness is ours through Christ. At the same time, Scripture shows that God sometimes answers with sufficient grace and strength in weakness according to His perfect wisdom, so we pray for healing while trusting His will and His timing.
Let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus I lift up this dear one to You today. Sanctify and guide every motive, thought, prayer and deed, that all would be pleasing to You and reflect the beauty of Christ. Grant strength for this day of fasting and prayer, and let it be led by Your Holy Spirit and grounded in Your living Word. Align this heart with Your will, and accomplish Your purposes. Hear the prayers and thanksgiving offered today and answer according to Your power and mercy. Touch spirit, soul and body, bring healing and freedom as You know best, and make Your healing presence known. May today be worship to You first, and may Your kingdom, Your power and Your glory be the desire above all else. Amen.
Prayer rests on relationship. Jesus gave a model for prayer that begins with Our Father, and that reminds us that effective prayer flows from being His child through faith in Jesus Christ. If we have that relationship, we have confidence to come to Him. If someone does not yet know Him, the first prayer God desires is for mercy as a sinner, which opens the door to that relationship. Because you are seeking Him through Christ, you can come with assurance that He hears you, not because of how loud or long the prayer is, but because you are His. The prayers recorded in Scripture are often very short, and it is not length or volume that makes prayer valid, but a heart that comes to the Father in Jesus name.
The purpose of prayer is not to get our own will done, but to see God's will accomplished. Prayer moves in a circle that begins with God. He places His purposes and desires on our hearts, we offer them back to Him in prayer, and He then accomplishes what He has purposed. So the greatest thing to pray for today is that your motives, your focus, your words and your actions would be shaped by Him. Ask that He would purify your heart and align your desires with His will, so that what you pray and do is a fragrance that honors Jesus. Prayer is also worship, a recognition of His greatness and glory, before it is petition. Begin with worship and awe, and let your requests flow from that place.
Fasting has a real spiritual value when it is joined with prayer, but not as a way to earn an answer or to obligate God to act. Jesus fasted, and He taught that some spiritual work is entered into through fasting and prayer. The value is not in the act itself, but in denying the flesh for a time so that the spiritual life is fed and strengthened as you wait on God and seek Him. Any form of denying the flesh in order to give yourself more fully to prayer can be used by the Lord, and He sees the heart behind it.
You also asked for healing and freedom in spirit, soul and body. The Lord reveals Himself as the One who becomes what we need, and to those who need healing He reveals Himself as the Lord our healer. The early church prayed for the sick, and the Lord did many healings through Jesus and through the apostles, and James tells us the fervent, heartfelt prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. That righteousness is ours through Christ. At the same time, Scripture shows that God sometimes answers with sufficient grace and strength in weakness according to His perfect wisdom, so we pray for healing while trusting His will and His timing.
Let us pray together. Father, in the name of Jesus I lift up this dear one to You today. Sanctify and guide every motive, thought, prayer and deed, that all would be pleasing to You and reflect the beauty of Christ. Grant strength for this day of fasting and prayer, and let it be led by Your Holy Spirit and grounded in Your living Word. Align this heart with Your will, and accomplish Your purposes. Hear the prayers and thanksgiving offered today and answer according to Your power and mercy. Touch spirit, soul and body, bring healing and freedom as You know best, and make Your healing presence known. May today be worship to You first, and may Your kingdom, Your power and Your glory be the desire above all else. Amen.
